Mine car buffer



Sept. 3, 1940, H. E. ABKOWITZ MINE CAR BUFFER Original Filed Aug. 19,1938 INVENTOR. 50mm .Cflbkouorkz A TTORNE Patented Sept. 3, 1940 UNITEDSTATES OFFICE Application August 19, 1938; Serial'No.'225,703 I RenewedSeptember 29; 1939 v 5Claims. (cl'izis s) I This invention pertains tobuffers, particularly those buffers applied to small cars such as mineand other industrial cars for absorbing draft and bufiing shocks imposedupon the car. This invention pertains more particularly to buffers ofthe foregoing type employing compression springs for absorbing the saidshocks and more specifically to buffers in which the bufiing shocks aretransmitted to the springs through the buffing block and the draftshocks transmitted to the springs by means of movement in the couplingpin independently of move-' ment of the bufling block. 7

An object of the present invention is to provide a buffer of the classdescribed in which the same springs acting in compression absorb bothcoupling and draft shocks imposed upon the car. Another object of theinvention is to provide a buffer of the class described in whichindependent mechanisms are provided for transmitting draft and buffingshocks imposed upon the said compression springs. A further object ofthe invention is to provide means in a buffer of the class describedproviding limited relative movement between the buffer and the meanstransmitting draft shocks to the springs, thereby tending to restrainlateral deflection of the said compression springs.

In the drawing forming a part of this specification in which Fig. 1shows a plan view of a portion of a car to which is attached the bufferembodying the invention; and Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 5 are sections taken onthe lines 22, 33, 4-4, and 55 respectively of Fig. 1 and Fig. 6 is-asection on line 66 of Fig. 4 to illustrate details of construction, thereference character I indicates a portion of a car to which is adaptedto be secured a buffer base 2 on which is mounted the buffing block 3for movement longitudinally of the car upon the base 2 when buffingshocks are imposed upon the buffing block and refer-' ence character 4indicates the longitudinal sills of the car. f The buffer base 2 isconstituted as a housing for the hereinafter described compressionsprings and a support for the bufiing block. This housing may take manyforms. In some types of cars and particularly mine cars the base isattached directly to the floor and the longitudinal sills of the car andconstitutes the end sill of the car or that portion of the end silldisposed between the longitudinal sills. In other types of cars'and someforms of mine cars an end sill is disposed between the longitudinalsills and the housing 2 is connected directly to the end sill. Theparticular mode of attaching the buffer base to the carstructure formsno part of the present invention and the details of constructionillustrated in the drawing as to this mode of attachment are not to beconstrued as limitations.

The base 2 shown inthe drawing is of the form which constitutes the endsill of the car and includes a rear wall 5 constituting an abutment forthe compression spring which wall is provided'with suitable attachmentflanges 6 and I for securing the base to the car structure. Extendingoutwardly from the rear wall 5 are top wall 8, bottom wall 9 and sidewalls I 0 to form a hollow enclosure for reception of the compressionsprings and exclusion of dirt. The top and bottom walls 8 and 9preferably extend beyond the vertical plane of the side wallsintermediate the side walls for connection to and support of the buflingblock.

.The buffingblock comprises a bufiing face II having rearwardlyextending top wall I2, bottom wall I3 and side walls I4 enclosingcorresponding walls of the base 2 and the top wall I2 of the bufiingblock rests on the top wall 8 of-the base 'to provide support for thebuffing block. .Upon'reference to Fig. l of the drawing it will be notedthat the base and buffing block combine to provide a telescoping whollyclosed enclosure for the bufiing springs and other hereinafter describedmechanism. Mounted on the topwalll2 of the bufling block andintermediate the. side walls is a suitable drawbar I5 disposed-in spacedrelation tothe top wall I2 to provide. space for admission of a couplinglink between the drawbar and top wall I2 to be engaged by the couplingpin. The drawbar I5 and topand bottom walls I2 and I3 respectively, havesuitably aligned apertures therein for reception of a coupling pin I6.These apertures are. located rearwardly of the buffing face. I I and areelongated in a direction longitudinally. of the car for apurposehereinafter described.

Upon reference to Figs. 1 and 3 of thedrawing it will be' noted that thecoupling pin I6 engages only the drawbar and the bufiing block and thattheadjacent walls of the base 2 are olTset to provide suitable clearanceand avoid interference with the coupling pin as the buffing block movestoward and away from the base under imposed bufiing shocks applied tothe face II of the buffing block. Disposed between the .top and bottomwalls of the bufiing block and extending rearwardly from the buflingface I I onopposite sides of the coupling pin are spring arm' supportsillustrated as vertically spaced brackets l1. Pivotally mounted on thebrackets I! by means of pivot pins l8 are spring arms l9 and 20 whichhave suitable apertures therein intermediate the ends thereof forreception of the pins l8. Each spring arm extends transversely of thebuffing block on opposite sides of the pins l8 with their outer endslying against the buifer face H of the buffer block, to provide abearing cap for the compression springs and their inner ends suitablyapertured for engagement with the coupling pin I6. Upon reference toFig. 5 of the drawing it will be observed that the inner end of thespring arm 20 is bifurcated and the adjacent end of the spring arm [9 isdisposed within the bifurcation and the whole engaged by the couplingpin I8. Disposed between the outer ends of each spring arm and the, rearwall 5 of the base is a compression spring 2| having its opposite endsengaging the said rear wall and spring arm respectively.

Some means must be provided for connecting the buffer block and base toprevent Separation thereof and at the same time provide relativemovement therebetweenupon compression of the springs 2i. This may bereadily accomplished by the insertion of removable pins through therespective top and bottom walls of both the boning block and base and byelongating the apertures in one of the members to provide the relativemovement between the members. To accomplish this purposeI prefer to usethe pivot pins [8 of the spring arms and elon gate the apertures in thetop andbottom walls 8 and 9 respectively of the base 2. These pins I8,must of course be made removable when accomplishing this dual purpose soas, to permit assembly and dis-assembly of the buffer. Referring now toFig. 1 of the drawing it will be observed that the compression Springs2i which extend between the wall 5 of the base and the b-ufiing face itof the buffing block normally space said buffing face from the said rearwall and that the top and bottom walls of the base, are spaced from thebuffing face II a sufiicient distance to permit relative movement of thebuffing face toward and away from the said rear wall 5. During this de-vscribed movement of the buffing block the pivot pins 18 move in theelongated apertures in the base 2 to permit the bufling block to movethe spring arms 18 and I9 bodily towards the base 2 in compressingthesprings 2|. It will likewise be apparent upon reference to Figs. 1 and 2that when cars embodying this buffer are coupled together and thecoupling link pulls upon the coupling pin lB,.the coupling pin can movewithin its elongated aperture in the bufiing block independently ofmovement of the buffing block, thereby causing the spring arms [9 and 2Gto rotate upon the pivot pins [8, which rotationis resisted by thesprings 2|, thus cushioning draft shocks. imposed upon the coupling pin.

It will be noted upon reference to Fig. 1 of the drawing that thecoupling pin is normally disposed adjacent the inner ends of itselongated aperture in the buffing block sothat its midpoint isrearwardly of a line drawn through the centers of the pins i8. Onepurpose accom plished by so positioning the coupling pin is to obtain aquicker compression of the springs and reduce the amount which thebuffing face ll needs be spaced outwardly of the pins I8 to providesufficient movement in the coupling pin to obtain compression oftheisprings ZLthereby reducing the'necessary size of the bufijngblockwith the consequential saving in labor and materials.

Another object obtained by so positioning the coupling pin and makingsaid rearward disposal of the coupling pin substantially equal to theamount the outer ends of the arms move in compressing the springs 2|andby elongating the apertures in the arms I9 and 2E! which'are engagedby the pins I8 is to obtain limited lateral bodily movement of thespring arms during movement of the coupling pin so that the forcecompressing the springs 2! is applied in sub-stantially a straight line,thereby obtaining a direct compressive force upon the springs 21 insteadof compression and bending normally resulting from a force applied atthe end of a pivoted arm.

Having thus described the invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a mine car buffer in combination, a base member for attachment tothe car structure, a bufiing block supported by said base member formovement relative thereto in absorbing buffing shocks, a coupling. pinmounted in, said bufiing block for movement toward and away from saidbase independently of movement of said buffer block, spring arm pivotpins disposed on opposite sides of said coupling pin and mounted on saidbuffer block, elongated apertures in said base member through which saidpivot pins extend, spring arms pivotally mounted intermediate their endson said buffing block by means of said pivot pins, one end of each saidarm pivotally engaging .said coupling pin, the other end of each armnormally engaging said buffing block, and compression springs disposedbetween said latter ends of thespring arms and said base member toabsorb draft and buffing shocks imparted to said coupling pin and bufhngmember.

2. In a mine car buffer, in combination, a base, a buiiin-g blockmovable relative to said base under bufiing shocks, compression springsdisposed adjacent the sides of said buffing block and between said baseand buffing block, a coupling pin, elongated apertures in said bufferblock through which said coupling pin extends and providing relativehorizontal movement between said block and said pin, spring arms mountedon said coupling pin and extending toward the sides of saidbufiingblock, the free end of said arms being disposed between saidcompression springs and the front wall of said buffing block, means onsaid buffing block providing pivotal support for each spring armintermediate theends thereof, and pivot pins connecting saidarms to saidmeans and connecting said base and buffing block.

3. In a mine car buffer in combination, a base having top, bottom andside walls forming a hollow enclosure, a buffing block having a buffingface from which extends top, bottom and side walls enclosing thecorresponding walls of said base, said bufiing block being supported bysaid base and movable thereon under buffing shock imposed upon saidbuffing face, a coupling pin mounted on said buffing block and movabletoward and away from said bufling face, compression springs disposedwithin said base and adjacent the sidewalls for absorbing buffing shocksimposed upon said buffer block, spring arms pivotallyconnected at one,end to said coupling pin and having their free ends disposed betweensaid springs and the buffing face of said buffing block, means on'saidbufiing face. extending between said top and bottom walls of said baseto support each spring arm intermediate the ends thereof,

spring arm supporting means.

4. A mine car buffer comprising a base having top, bottom and sidewalls, compression springs on said base disposed adjacent said sidewalls and extending beyond said top and bottom walls, a bufiing blocksupported by said base and comprising a buffing face disposed acrosssaid springs and a rearwardly extending top wall adapted to overlie thecorresponding base wall, a coupling pin extending through said buffingblock top wall and independently of said. base, vertically disposedremovable members connecting said base and bufiing block on oppositesides of said coupling pin, spring arms pivotally connected to saidcoupling pin and pivotally mounted on said bufiing block by means ofsaid removable members, each said spring arm extending from saidcoupling pin to one of said springs and providing a bearing for saidspring against the bufiing face of said block.

5. A mine car bufier comprising a base having top, bottom and sidewalls, compression springs on said base disposed adjacent said sidewalls and extending beyond said top and bottom walls, a buffing blocksupported by said base and comprising a bufling face disposed acrosssaid springs a and a rearwardly extending top wall adapted to overliethe corresponding base wall, a coupling pin extending through saidbuffing block top Wall and independently of said base, verticallydisposed removable members connecting said base and bufling block onopposite sides of said coupling pin, spring arms pivotally connectedwith said coupling pin and pivotally mounted on said bufiing block bymeans of said removable members, each said spring arm extending fromsaidcoupling pin to one of said springs and providing a bearing for saidspring agaist the bufiing face of said block, each spring arm at saidremovable member having, the aperture therein elongated longitudinallyof the arm providing limited movement of the arm longitudinally of saidbufiing face and each wall of the said base at said removable memberhaving the aperture elongated in a direction normal to said buffing facefor reception of each said removable member providing relative movementbetween each said removable member and said base during movement of thebuffing block.

HAROLD E. ABKOWITZ.

